Atrium Health improves access to mental health services with school-based teletherapy
Virtual mental health services are now offered to students in 13 central Georgia schools
MACON, Ga., April 27, 2026 – A new partnership between Atrium Health and area schools is providing greater access to mental health services for more than 27,500 students. Atrium Health’s School-Based Virtual Therapy Program offers teletherapy to students in grades five through 12 at schools in Crawford, Houston and Peach counties, and The Academy for Classical Education (ACE) in Bibb County.
In 2022, death by suicide was the fourth leading cause of death in Georgia for children ages 5-17, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). A 2025 report by Mental Health America showed that 12% of Georgia youth between the ages of 12 and 17 had major thoughts of suicide, 17% experienced a major depressive episode, and more than 9 percent reported having a substance abuse disorder. More than half of the students who reported a major depressive episode did not receive treatment.
With these statistics in mind, the Georgia Department of Education launched a student mental and behavioral health services grant allocating $20,000 in funding for each public middle and high school in the state.
“No student or family should have to navigate the struggles of anxiety, grief or depression alone,” said Atrium Health Georgia Market President Delvecchio Finley. “With this partnership, we can ensure students have access to the resources and support they need —not just to feel better today, but to stay on a healthy path for learning, growth and success for many years to come.”
School-based therapy sessions are offered during the school day, after hours and over the summer with treatment options to help with depression, anxiety, stress, grief, trauma, ADHD, family therapy and other mental health needs.
The process starts with a parent or student contacting a school counselor. The counselor then makes a referral to a licensed Atrium Health mental health therapist. For students attending therapy sessions at school, a secure tablet is provided, and the session takes place in a private space. Parents or guardians can attend therapy sessions with audio and video capabilities. Sessions are also available after school hours. All a student needs is access to a smart device.
Appointments are scheduled within 10 days of the referral. Patient insurance is billed for therapy visits; however, financial assistance is available for those in need.
“School-based virtual teletherapy has shown lifechanging outcomes, including a nearly 40% reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms in students,” said Eva McNeill, associate vice president for Atrium Health’s Charlotte-based outpatient services. “With the ability for parents to join sessions virtually, family participation is growing. We are excited to offer this new resource for central Georgia families and are hopeful that we’ll be able to expand to serve additional schools in the area.”
Since launching virtual teletherapy in 2020, Advocate Health, of which Atrium Health is a part, has grown to provide care to students in more than 300 schools across the Southeast, including 60 schools in Georgia. In addition to schools in central Georgia, services are provided in northwest Georgia and Fulton County.
The program is powered by nearly 40 licensed therapists who offer more than 20,000 virtual and in-person sessions each year.
About Atrium Health Navicent
Building on a 130-year history of service to the community, Atrium Health Navicent is the leading provider of health care in central and south Georgia and is committed to its mission of elevating health and well-being through compassionate, personalized care. It is part of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Advocate Health, the nation’s third-largest nonprofit integrated health system with Wake Forest University School of Medicine as its academic core. Atrium Health Navicent provides high-quality, personalized care in 53 specialties at more than 50 facilities throughout the region. Its patients have access to the resources of a preeminent academic health system at the forefront of clinical excellence, innovation and research. Nationally recognized for expertise in heart and vascular, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, Advocate Health is also a pioneer in the delivery of virtual health care. It’s accelerating discovery by making research participation part of the standard-of-care through its one-of-a-kind National Center for Clinical Trials, plus two affiliated life-sciences-focused innovation districts and is home to one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs. Atrium Health Navicent is one of the leading teaching hospitals in the region, helping to ensure viability for rural health care for the next generation.
About Advocate Health
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States. A preeminent academic health system at the forefront of clinical excellence, innovation and research, it delivers care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin and Michigan, and Wake Forest University School of Medicine is its academic core. Nationally recognized for expertise in heart and vascular, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, Advocate Health is also a pioneer in the delivery of virtual health care. It is accelerating discovery by making research participation part of the standard-of-care through its one-of-a-kind National Center for Clinical Trials, plus two affiliated life-sciences-focused innovation districts and one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs. With more than 165,000 teammates serving patients at 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations across eight states, Advocate Health reinvests over $6 billion each year to improve community health, making it one of the nation’s largest providers of community benefit.